silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It's a rough read, watching a relationship slowly fall apart. It's also a fascinating theory about Agatha Christie's disappearance, and that part was quite enjoyable.
I was a bit annoyed by the implication that advice to Agatha to put her husband first and let her life revolve around him contributed to the problem. If her husband hadn't been a jerk, and had reciprocated by putting her first in his life, they could have had a perfectly lovely life following this advice. (Well, assuming they'd figured out how to be good parents AND good spouses at the same time, at least.)
I was a bit annoyed by the implication that advice to Agatha to put her husband first and let her life revolve around him contributed to the problem. If her husband hadn't been a jerk, and had reciprocated by putting her first in his life, they could have had a perfectly lovely life following this advice. (Well, assuming they'd figured out how to be good parents AND good spouses at the same time, at least.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent and Mental illness
Minor: Domestic abuse, Death, Car accident, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy
wellreadjill_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
gwen87's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
There are things to like about this book - it is well researched and the characterisation is done quickly and effectively (key, given that there are only really an couple of characters with minor players floating in the background). But it really needed a bit of editing. The writing itself isn't great, and the repetition of adjectives got quite annoying. At times it felt like the author was trying to persuade us that she had done her research by throwing facts in as part of narration. It also contains a major spoiler for one of Christie's most significant novels (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) which felt really out of keeping with the spirit of a book about the queen of plot twists.
I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator was fine, but her constant mispronunciation of Berkshire (and Harrogate) was deeply irritating!
I listened to this as an audiobook. The narrator was fine, but her constant mispronunciation of Berkshire (and Harrogate) was deeply irritating!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Toxic relationship
msjk427's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've always been fascinated by Ms. Christie's disappearance when I learned of it. There's even a great Doctor Who episode around it. So imagine my delight when I found this gem. This is my second book by Marie Benedict (I enjoyed The Other Einstein earlier this year). This book is intriguing and provides insight into a tumultuous marriage, leaning on how we build people up in our minds. We really are the main characters in our own narratives. And Benedict delves into one of Christie's techniques of unreliable narrators. I loved this interpretation of the motivation for Christie's disappearance and actually could see it as completely feasible. Amnesia or hoax that simultaneously further catapulted her fame and put her philandering husband in his place? The world will never actually know.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexism
giraffestickers's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Car accident, Physical abuse, and Violence
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